As Hanamichi Sakuragi transitions into his first year at Shohoku high school, memories of his middle school failures haunt him. With 50 girls rejecting him due to his towering height and bright red hair, his image as a delinquent remains unshaken. That is, until the fearless Haruko Akagi approaches him and asks if he likes basketball. As if struck by Cupid’s arrow, Hanamichi’s adoration for Haruko blossoms and he eagerly agrees to join her in the gymnasium to learn about the sport he now loves. There, he discovers the exhilarating slam dunk and learns of Rukawa, one of the country’s hottest basketball prospects and a fellow freshman at Shohoku.